Published by: Vanessa Harbin on 7/11/2011 3:57:38 PM
Reducing readmissions is increasingly on NAPH member hospitals' minds, according to the survey results from 51 NAPH members, reported in this month's data brief. Nearly 90% of survey respondents said they're making readmissions a priority and 59% have established goals toward reducing them.
Given the high-risk patient populations at many safety net hospitals, it is not surprising that readmissions have long been a big issue for NAPH members. But putting readmission reduction at the top of the priority list is more critical than ever - CMS will begin instituting financial penalties for "excess" readmissions coming in fiscal year 2013. Almost 75% of survey respondents said that their executive leadership prioritized readmissions in the last 18 months, with 34% appointing primary responsibility to an executive team member and 32% assigning it to a Chief Medical Officer or Medical Director.
Reducing readmissions is no easy task. Hospitals that responded to the survey overwhelmingly report that they see drug and alcohol abuse as a significant contributor to readmissions (73%), as well as patients not following up with appointments (63%), and homelessness (55%). Patients with heart failure and multiple comorbidities also topped the hospitals' list of people at risk for eadmission. The good news is that NAPH hospitals are implementing proven strategies to reduce readmissions - from developing public/private partnerships with community-based organizations to increasing support and communication with patients and family to improving care delivery processes – and they're seeing an impact.
Check out some of the innovations developed by NAPH members in this area, as well as our collection of tools to help you reduce readmissions at your hospital.